Signal device for sunken vessels



Patented Feb. 25, I

JOHN FEN'rnEss, OF NORFOLK, VIRG1NIA SIGNAL DEVICE FOR sunnnn" VESSELS j cApplication filed March 11, 1929. Serial No. 346,147.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the crew of a sunken vessel can signal for help also to provide means for marking the position of the sunken vessel.

' This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combi nation and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated int-he accompanyingdrawing and specifically 1o pointed out in the appended claim. j

In describing the invention in detail, ref- 'ere nce will be had to "the, accompanying drawing"wherein like characters'denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several Views, and in whic'hz- I Figure'l 's a View showingthe invention in use; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional View through the device, and showing the same in inoperative. position. p I V Figure 3 is a View showing the buoy'in raised position, with the 'antenna in open position. r i V Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In thesev views, the numeral 1 indicates a cylinderwhich has its 'upper end opening out through the deck or'other part of a vessel 1 which is shown at A, the upper end Ofthe cylinder being normally closed'by a hinged (10012 which is provided with agasket 3 for making a watertight'joint, the door being held closed by a latch etoperable from inside the vessel. A buoy or float 5 is arranged in the cylinder and has a centrally arranged bore '6, the upper end of which is of reduced size,

1 as shown at 6, and the lower-end terminates short of the lower end of the buoy, though a small hole? passes from the lower end of the l 4o bore through the lower end of thefbuoy.

The'upper portion of the buoy is formed withthe slots 8 which communicate with the f bore and pass through the sides and top of the buoy. f A member 9 is arranged in the bore and has armslO thereon extending into i the slots; Rods 11 are pivoted to the arms and extend upwardly through the slots, the upper portions of the rods engaging the pins 12 carried by the top part of the buoy and passing through the slots. These pins act to hold inits lowest position with thespringconracted by the door through means of a flaguntil it reaches the upper" end of the large with the exterior of the ship, eachpipe hav- ,ing a valve 20 therein. :Thus by opening the the rods in the position they occupy in Fig ure 2. ,A spring13 is arranged in the lower part of the boreand acts to' force the member 9 upwardly, though this member is held stall 14, the lower end of which is fastened'to the member9 and its upperend is engaged by I the door when the door is in closed position;

The pennant or flag 15 is rolled and occupies the reduced part 670]? the bore when the 'de viceis in the cylinder.[ A conductor cable-16 is connected with the lower end ofthe fioat and tothe lower end of the cylinder, and this end of the cable is adapted' to be suitably cofmected with a radio sending set in the vesse v From the foregoing it will be seen that if the vessel sinks, it is simply necessary for a member of the crew to releasethe latch 4 to enable the pressure of thespring on thefiag- 7 staff to swing the door to open position and 7 permit the float to rise to the surface. The spring 13 will pushthe member 9 upwardly part of the'bore, and as the rods 11 areconnected with the member 9, theserods will open out to the position they occupy in Figwhich are attached tothe rods. The fiagsta'flf 3 i will" also be raised to the'position it occupies in Figure 3 and thusthe buoy :andthe flag will act to indicate the position of the sunken vessel and the crew can radio appeals for help, as the antenna is electrically con- 85. nected by the conductor. cables 16' and the T spring with the sending set in the sunken vessel. I

In order to equalize the pressure in the f cylinder with the pressure of the water exte 9o" riorly of the vessel, I provide a pipe 18 which connects the lower part of the cylinder with the'exterior of the ship, and a smaller pipe19. which connects the upper part of the cylinder valves, sea water will enter the cylinder. through the pipe 18 and air in the cylinder "will escape through the pipe 19. Then when V the cylinder is full of water, by opening the PAT ENT LOP- E i latch a, the spring can readily open the door so that the float can escape. If the float should fail to pass from the cylinder, it can be pushed therefrom by a rod 20 passing through a gland 21 in the cylinder, the inner endof the rod engaging the float.

Of course, a number of these devices can be placed on a ship, in different portions thereof, asshown in Figure 1, so that if a portion of the vessel carrying one of the devices is flooded, another of the devices can be used;

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will bereadily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is In combination with a ship, a cylinder arranged in a part of the ship and opening out through a top portion thereof, a door for closing the'cylinder, latch means operable from inside the ship to hold the door in closed position, a buoy in the cylinder, an antenna carried by the buoy, a conductor cable connected with the buoy and electricallyconnected with the antenna, said cable being connected with a part of the ship and electrically connected with a radio sending set in the ship whereby when the door is opened, the float will rise to the surface to mark the position of the sunken ship and enable the crew to radio appeals for help, spring actuated means foropening the door when the latch is moved to releasing position, such means comprising a springin the buoy, a member slidably arranged in the buoyand moved upwardly by the spring, a

ilagstafi connected with the member and engaging the under face of the door, the antenna rods being connected with the member, guiding means on the buoy for the rods, such means normally holding the rods in folded position and guiding them to open position whenthe float passes from the cylinder, means for admitting sea water into the cylinder be fore the door is opened and means for pushing the buoy from the cylinder if the same should stick therein.

In testimony whereof I vaffix my signature.

JOHN J. FENTRESS. 

